Lunch box



March 4, 1958 J. 1.. WEIR, JR

LUNCH BOX Filed Nov; 15, 1954 INVENTOR. John L. Wei r, Jr.

"I na/V1515 vs. I Moi,

Un d S ates Paten e.

LUNCHBOX John L. Weir, in, Seattle, Wash.

Application November 15, 1954, Serial No. 468,845 5 Claims. (Ci. 266 4)This invention relates to lunch boxes, and it has reference moreparticularly to improvements in those types of metal lunch boxes thatare equipped with a hingedly attached lid or cover portion within whicha Thermos bottle is adapted to be contained; the box cover portion beingso shaped that when the bottle is disposed lengthwise therein, thecylindrical housing of the bottle will fit firmly thereagainst, and canbe held firmly in place by the applying of a spoon, or the like,transversely of the medial portion of the bottle and holdingly engagingthe spoon ends with walls of the arched cover at opposite sides of thebottle.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide a noveland practical means for holding a Thermos bottle in the manner abovenoted in the cover or lid portion of a lunch box of the above describedcharacter; this novel means being characterized by the use of a spoon ofpredetermined length that permits it to be applied to the box cover in aparticular way, and which spoon has its handle portion equipped at itsend for bolding application to a hook, clip or clasp that is fixed toone sidewall of the cover, and when so applied, the end of the bowl ofthe spoon is positioned for support by engaging with a wall of the boxto which the cover is attached thus to hold the spoon in its intendedsupporting posi- H011.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a clip, clasp or bookthat may be easily and readily applied to one wall of a lunch box coverfor the purpose of fixing a spoon thereto to serve its Thermos bottlesupporting function; such hooks, clips or clasps being mounted throughthe medial plates that serve torprotect the material of the lid frombeing scratched, dented or otherwise damaged by reason of the wedgingaction of the spoon when heldin bottle supporting position.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention resides in thedetails of construction of the spoon holding clips, clasps or hooks, andin the details of the spoonand the manner of applying it in the coverportion of the lunch box.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, I haveprovided the improved details of construction, the preferred forms ofwhich are illustratedin the accom- .panyingdrawings, wherein:

Fig.. l is a perspective view showinga lunch box as equipped with aspoon and spoon holding means, embodied bylthe present invention; thecover portion being showninits open position;

' Fig.2 is a cross-sectional view of the lunch box cover portion showingthe position in which a Thermos bottle is applied thereto, and the modeof application of the spoon for holding the bottle in place.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the spoon supporting hook and plate onwhich the hook is mounted.

Fig. 4 is a sectional detail of a wall portion of the box cover and thehook mounting plate, illustrating an alternative manner of securing theplate and hook in place.

2,825,444 ili'altented .Mar. :4, 1958 a 1&

Fig. 5 is a view showing an alternative means; for and mode of attachingthe spoon to the box cover.

Fig. 6 is a sectional viewof parts taken on line 6-6 in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a sectional detail showing another means for and mode ofattaching a spoon in the box cover for support of the Thermos bottletherein.

Fig 8 is a sectional view taken on'the line'8 -'8 in Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of an alternative tom of spoon securinghook designed for use in lieu ofthatof Figs. 1 and 4.

Referring more in detail to thedrawings:

1 designates what may be a lunch box of a type presently in general use,and equipped with a cover portion 2 that is hingedly attached along itslower edge tot he backwall la of the box, by conventional means, asshown at 3, in Figs. 1 and 2, to swing between the open position inwhich it is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and its closedposition'in which ithas been shown in dot and dash lines in Fig.42. The box 1 is usuallyconstructed of metal and -is'made in the elongated, rectangular formshown. Boxes now generally in use are about four and three-fourthsinches wide, four inches deep and ten inches long. The cover portion 2is made in the dome form shown in Fig; 2, with its top portioncylindrically curved to conform substantially to the cylindricalcurvature of a standard Thermos bottle, such as that designated byreference numeral-5. It is intended, and it is customary to store theThermos bottle in the cover or lid portion 2, as shown in Fig 1, then toclose the cover over the box-for its securement by suitable clasps, suchas those shown at-6, inFig. '1, or by other suitable means.

The present invention anticipates the use ot a spoon, or the like forholding the bottle inplace in the cover 2, and invention is based uponthe'details of construction of'the speen and of a hook, or the like, forthe securement of the spoon in the cover so that it can serve theintended function of supporting the bottle in place as stored in thecover.

In the present showing, 10 designates a spoon that is made in theconventional shape and in a predetermined length to adapt it to beapplied to the cover and against the bottle, transversely thereof, asseen inFig. 2. Adjacent its outer end, the spoon handle 10x is formedwith a transverse slot 11. This slot is designed to receive a hooktherethrough for support of the spoon; the hook being applied to theinside of the front wall of the cover midway of its ends as seen in Fig.1.

In Fig. 3, 1 have shown the present preferred form of book andthe hookmounting plate 14. This plate isof thin sheet metal, in near rectangularform. It is applied against the inside of the lid wall and is fixedthereto for example by passing a short bolt 16 through plate and wall asshown in Fig. 2 or by spot welding. Punched inwardly from the plate, inspaced relationship in a direction lengthwise of the cover, are pairedloops 1717 in which the oppo site end portions of hook forming wire arecontained. wire is so bent as to provide the spoon securing hook-"18 ofthe form best shown in Fig. 3. It will be observed also, by reference toFig. 2, that the hook is directed toward the top, and away from the openlower side of the cover or lid. This provides that when I the hook isapplied through the slot of the spoon handle, and the handle is directedacross the bottle, the end of the bowl of the spoon can come to restagainst the box wall. The pressure of the Thermos bottle against thespoon cannot then disengage the spoon handle from the hook.

In the application of the spoon to the box cover for the support of thebottle therein, the procedure is to extend the end of the spoon handleinto the cover beyond the hook end, then to pass the end of the hookshank through 7 the spoon slot 11, and swing uthe cover wall to thebottle engaging position, shown in: L Fig. 2., Upon closing the cover,the lower end of the 7 Spoon will then conie to a position or support onthe top is Q i 1' the spoon down and against e dge otv the back wall 1aof the lunchbox; as shown in dotted lines inFig. 2;,the wall la beingrecessed, as at 1x inFiggl, toseat thespoon end therein; ,Thusthespoon,as so positioned and held will retain the bottle securelyin place.,;;-jI t i 7 a To removethe spoon from its bottle retaining position, thecovervis opened to position of Fig.2, then the spoon merely grasped byits lower end portion and pulled up-' wardly as the upperend of thehandle is pushed inwardly normally disposed close to the cover wall andthus the entrance to .the hook seat is normally closed, but by reasonof'theresiliencyof the hook forming wire, the hook can be sprungoutwardlyfor the applying or disengaging 'olj the spoon handle. p r t I7 Q As an alternate form of hook, I providethe device of Fig. 9. Thiscomprises a base, plate 14x that is substantially square, and formed atleast two opposite corners and disengaged from the hook. The end of thehook is y with extended ears' '20 that may be passed, through v ,slots'provided therefor in the, cover wall, and, then clinched'to secure theplate in, place. A book 13x is struck from the plate and bent to assumesubstantially the same form as the hook 18 of Fig.2 and it is used inthe same way ashook 18. a, e

"It will be here explained that the plate 14, of Fig. 3

might also be provided with tabs, like the tabs 20 of Fig. 9; for-use inthe attachment of the plate 14 to'the' cover I wall, either bythemselves or to supplement the bolt 16.

Another alternativeyconstruction ,is shown in Fig. 4,.

wherein it is noted that the wall of the cover has loops 1 17xstruckpinwardly therefrom and these are adapted to-nest, as illustrated,within the, loops 17-17 of the 'platel to receive the aligned andoutturned end por tions of the wire which secures the hook 18 in place.

, This provision for loops 17x eliminates the need'for the meet a bolt,as in Fig. 3, for the 'securement of the Plate portion of its handle 10xturned backwardly and. for- I wardly to provide a hook-like end portionIiihf 'Th'is is adapted to' be hooked ovcrtheoutset central'portion ofthe secured strap, as shown best 'inFig. 6, to hold that end of the'spoonwhen the spoon is placed in bottled holding position of Fig. 2.

cover wall is' a clip 32, ,.This comprises two coacting yieldable'jawsorfingers 3131 between whichthe knob can-be applied and held. The knob canbe pulled from betweenthe jaws, but under normal usethc cli'p :will

its support of the hold the spoon sufficientlyssecure for Thermosbottle. i

In'the useof the spoon securing hooks, as'ofFigsJZ,

K the other form of 'spoon attaching means shown in Figsp7'and 8,1thespoon handle lily is shown togbe equipped at its end with a knob'3tl.;Attached"to the 7 3,4 or the hook end is accidental release fromthehook. The other'end of the spoon'will be supported is closed.

One advantage of the use of the plate 14 of Figs.f3

and 4 or plate 14x of Fig. 9, isthat it prevents pressuref l of thespoon end from'den'ting or marring or deforming 5 the lid wall.

With the parts so 'designed and assembled; the spoon t, V

retains the bottle in place while the cover is 'closedaiand when thecover isopened, the spoon can be easily and readily removed foru'se; andsuch removal, releases th'e bottle.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as.

new therein and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

'1. Ina lunch box of the character described, comprising a box-likebody'and acover therefor hinged along one edge to the backwall of thebody to swing between closed and open positions; saidcover being ofcainpanulate form in cross-section, a Thermos. bottle removq I i ablyseated'within the cover, a hook mounting; plate disposed flatly againstand fixed to that wall of'thecover that is opposite its hinged edge at alocation,'within the cover, intermediate the ends of the bottle a'hookattached to said plate and overlying it, and a spoon disposed in thecover and across the 'bottle'to support itfas disposed fl' 7 withinthe'cover; said spoon having a slotthrough' the outer end portion of itshandle through which; said hook is passed for support of the spoon atthat end, and said? 1 spoon being ofsu'ch length'that, when 'soapplied,-its

slotted end will bear-against said-plateand'th'e endiof =its bowl willwedgingly engage with the hinged wallot r the cover and will'rest forsupport when the cover is closed over the body on-the'top edge of thebody wall to which the cover is hinged. i

apart,loops pressed outwardly from the plate,- arldsaid hook is'formedfrom. a single pieceof wire that'is bent' to hook form with the oppositeend portions of the wire' extended through said loops to mount the hookonthe plate. a

3. A lunch box as recited pressure thereagainst by the .Thermos bottle.

which the cover is hingedly attached is formed-, witha depression in itstop edge" to seat the end of, the spoon g bowl therein as ,a means ofretaining it against'displace- V f ment from functional position.

5. A lunch box as in claim 3, whjerein W R eterencesCitedin'thefileofthispatent V a 'UmTEDsTATEs PAT N'rsj 188,245 Q Mar. 1

applied through the slot in the endportion of thespoonhandle',"and-thedirection-of j the hook is such that the pressure of theretained Then 1 mos bottle 5 against the spoon. will hold it against anyon thebox wall while the cover 2. A lunch box as recited. in'clairn lwherein' said hook mounting plate is formed with aligned, and spaced Vincl-aim 1' where ini' the said. hook is directed away from the opensideof the cover toprevent release of the spoon handle therefrom under4. A lunchbox as'iniclaim 3 wherein the boxwallfto V V thespoon handleiscurvedalong its medial'portion, to conform to the'cur-i i vature ofthe wall surface ofthe .Thermos .bottleagainst V which it engages whenin bottlesupportingposition. l

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No,2,825,444 March 1958 John L. Weir, Jr

It is hereby certified that error appears in the-printed specificationof the above "numbered patent requiring correction and that the saidLetters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 1, lines 18, 29, 44 and 64, column 2, lines '7, 2'7, 29 and 6'7,column 3, line 66, and column 4, lines 3 and 4, 23, 49 and 57, for'"Thermos", each occurrence, read vacuum Signed and sealed this 4th dayof August 1959.

( SEAL} Attest:

KARL AXLINE ROBERT (J. WATSON Attesting Oflicer Commissioner of Patents

